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mooseherman
Published on 04/26/10 at 14:48
This is a nice banjo that is made by Deering. This Banjo has five strings. The banjo's features include a Maple Neck & Resonator, an added Steel Tone Ring, a Metal Flange With Sound Holes, and an 11" diameter. There is a nice satin finish, and an adjustable tailpiece. This banjo is acoustic, so there are no controls for volume or outputs. Likewise, there are no pickups.
UTILIZATION
This banjo is a great one to play, and the tone and feel are well suited to the busy, rapid picking of bluegrass. Getting a great sound is as easy as picking it up and plucking. The feel of the neck in particular is great, it's narrow enough to be able to navigate really efficiently, but it's not too narrow as to be crowded when trying to play it. The drivers on this banjo are very stable, and it's a breeze to play it.
SOUNDS
I really like this banjo a lot. It has a nice sound that can be very versatile depending on the player. I've seen bluegrass players get a nice, relatively smooth sound out of it, while I've heard more bluesy/country players get a far twangier sound out of it. Mostly though, I'd recommend it to bluegrass players. It's got a fantastic sustain, which is always cool in a banjo. If I had to describe it, I would say that it sounds almost as though the harsh midrange that sometimes comes with banjos is considerably toned down.
OVERALL OPINION
I think the best thing about this banjo is the fact that it is a simple, elegant design, and also has great playability in sound. I don't know if I would choose this one above all else as I'm not a bluegrass player, but I know that if I was, this would be a great choice, simply because of the tone and playability. I wouldn't choose it because I prefer the twang and harsh mids that other banjos do better, but since many people can't stand that sound, I recognize that this banjo is great for what it does.
UTILIZATION
This banjo is a great one to play, and the tone and feel are well suited to the busy, rapid picking of bluegrass. Getting a great sound is as easy as picking it up and plucking. The feel of the neck in particular is great, it's narrow enough to be able to navigate really efficiently, but it's not too narrow as to be crowded when trying to play it. The drivers on this banjo are very stable, and it's a breeze to play it.
SOUNDS
I really like this banjo a lot. It has a nice sound that can be very versatile depending on the player. I've seen bluegrass players get a nice, relatively smooth sound out of it, while I've heard more bluesy/country players get a far twangier sound out of it. Mostly though, I'd recommend it to bluegrass players. It's got a fantastic sustain, which is always cool in a banjo. If I had to describe it, I would say that it sounds almost as though the harsh midrange that sometimes comes with banjos is considerably toned down.
OVERALL OPINION
I think the best thing about this banjo is the fact that it is a simple, elegant design, and also has great playability in sound. I don't know if I would choose this one above all else as I'm not a bluegrass player, but I know that if I was, this would be a great choice, simply because of the tone and playability. I wouldn't choose it because I prefer the twang and harsh mids that other banjos do better, but since many people can't stand that sound, I recognize that this banjo is great for what it does.